Among the publicly wearable styles known from the prior art are various versions of non-dimensionally stable garments that are self-contained as worn, or self-supporting garments that leave the sides of the lower body uncovered, similar to that mentioned above. Closed versions of such garments also cover the buttocks and sides of the lower body, to a degree varying in different styles. Other styles are worn only as undergarments or together with other garments, are used in the medical field, or serve as supports for other garments.
Further features of the prior art are presented below from the following description of exemplary embodiments by means of the drawings.
As can be seen from FIGS. 1-3, a strap 2 running between the legs is provided in known garments, such strap connected in front and in back with a support strap 1 of the garment running around the circumference of the body, in some cases releasably. As the support strap 1 and/or the strap 2 are not themselves dimensionally stable, nor connected in a dimensionally stable manner, the strap 2 running between the legs would fall down if not connected, as well as to the front or rear like a thread supported at only one end, insofar as the strap 2 were connected only at one end with the circumferential support strap 1 at the opposite side. The sold exception is the “C-string” depicted in FIG. 4, which covers only the area between the legs by means of a strap 2, and which is prevented from falling off by its design, in which tension is created between the legs. It therefore comprises only a single strap 2. While T- and G-strings have long been worn, the origin of the V-string (or delta string), with its delta-shaped, textile-free triangle over the coccyx is unknown. A C-string is described e.g. in US 2004 0 064 872 A1.
The width and form of the support straps 1 and straps 2 vary in different versions (FIGS. 1 through 4). With the exception of the C-string (see FIG. 4), these are not dimensionally stable, but instead generally only comprise non-dimensionally stable support straps 1 of any width and form. The material is normally a fabric or other material that conforms to the body. The forms illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 are only created upon contact with the body of the wearer, through which the fabric is stretched to the size fitting the body. The tension so created prevents the garment from slipping downward. With the exception of the C-string shown in FIG. 4, the garments do not have the forms depicted when not being worn.
It is characteristic that either—as in the C-string of FIG. 4—only a single, self-supporting strap 2 exists, or that support strap 1 and strap 2—as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3—are connected in front and back, possibly releasably, as the strap 2 would otherwise fall down between the legs. If a support strap 1 encircling the body is provided, this strap is always closed when the garment is worn (FIGS. 1 through 3; possibly opened using one or more closures 3, as shown in FIG. 1; these may be attached at the front, sides, or rear within the support strap 1, or also below within the strap 2).
It is thus known that a circumferential support strap 1 is always kept closed when worn, and a strap 2 including a crotch piece is connected between the legs in front and in back with a circumferential support strap 1 (FIGS. 1 through 3). The front and rear connection between the support strap 1 and the strap 2 is absolutely necessary to the functioning (covering of the regions of the body to be concealed) of the versions of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 in order to prevent the strap 2 from falling off. In the version of FIG. 4, such falling off is prevented in accordance with the prior art by tension between the legs generated by the material of the strap 2.
The undergarments, which also cover the sides to a greater or lesser extent, can only be put on and taken off by drawing non-opening models up and down along the legs. In the case of openable models, e.g. those using buttons, hooks, zippers, or ties—as closure 3 in FIG. 1—the garment must be either opened or also drawn over the legs to be put on and taken off. Only the C-string in FIG. 4 can be removed directly; however, it does not cover the wearer's sides, thus she appears unclothed from the side. In addition, if the tension exerted by the strap 2 is insufficient, the garment may slide down or fall off.
The garment described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,168 always appears closed from the front and back, as the supporting strap is intended to fully encircle the body like a belt (though potentially not closed by a closure 3). This encirclement of the body is required. The objective is to loosely cover the buttocks of a patient, as the front half of the body is covered by another garment. This garment thus does not itself cover the crotch area. As the crotch area itself is not covered, and the buttocks only by a dangling piece of cloth, coverage is not ensured, e.g. in the event of a gust of wind. This garment thus cannot be worn in public, at least not unless worn in combination with another garment.
DE 103 07 173 B3 relates to a garment having a loincloth with a waistband from which at least one front apron part depends, where the garment has a front crotch piece and a rear crotch piece connected to it, where the crotch pieces are connected to the waistband at their terminal ends opposite to one another. The waistband is continuous and not sufficiently dimensionally stable. The purpose of the loosely depending aprons is to cover more.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,241 A also describes a continuous belt as a support.
FR 2 740 302 A1 comprises a cord encircling the body when the garment is worn, such cord supporting a metal or plastic frame designed to emulate in shape the male or female genital region, but which extends only to the perineum, and thus does not cover the entirety of the private areas between the legs.
DE 103 07 173 B3 accurately describes FR 2 740 302 A1 as comprising essentially a specially-shaped corset which probably cannot be worn in public: in the event of any athletic movement, the body is revealed, as the garment does not encircle the body beyond the middle of the body between the legs, as would be necessary to prevent the clothing from lifting off the body.
DE 103 61 500 A1 describes a v-shaped task, with a cord in the shape of a string encircling the body.
DE 3 705 137 C2 describes a warp-knitted v-shaped slip (of traditional design).
DE 297 07 233 U1 provides for an annularly arranged.
DE 10 2008 056 229 describes a slip, characterized by having a band and a cloth, the latter of which can be releasably attached to a band by at least one end section of its longitudinal extension and is washable. The two end sections of the band are preferably releasably attachable to one another. It is stated that the band may have a closed annular form; in the particularly preferred embodiment, however, the band has end sections that are releasably attached to one another. It is thus visually closed as worn.
DE 20 2004 011 134 U1 concerns a method of opening a slip.
DE 10 2005 044 687 A1 describes briefs with closures arranged on both sides.
DE 37 17 042 A1 places an endless drawstring around an endless elastic waistband.
US 2006/01 01 558 A1 comprises a circumferential belt.
DE 20 2006 000 289 U1 describes a waist support for pants or the like which are supported below the waist on the wearer's body directly or on the undergarment, held in place with the aid of traction mechanisms encompassing the wearer's body.
DE 1715 606 U1 defines a pant support with a broad, closed stomach belt.
In DE 295 11 963 U1, support parts were attached to the upper side of a sturdy belt to be worn in a low hip location on the undergarments.
DE 18 26 212 U1 describes a further pant support, as do AT 21 5927, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,201, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,201, DE 195 53 444, DE 198 20 715 A1 pant support with circumferential belt.
DE 20 2007 004 057 U1 comprises a short pant/underpant, which is opened and closed in the front area along two vertical closure elements, and thus only describes an arrangement of closures; as worn, the pants are closed. The same applies for DE 20 2013 002 595 U1.
GB 2 398 992 describes a variant of a G-string designed to not be visible when worn with low-cut trousers. It is closed in itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,703 has an entirely different intended purpose, but here as well, the supporting belt is closed.
WO 2005/110132 A1 describes an closed thong, which can be opened at three locations in front.
AT 12 769 U3 describes a slip that opens at the back, but is otherwise “normal”.
DE 20 2010 004 721 U1 describes a slip that does not cover the buttocks, and which is supported by two independent “scaffolding pieces” of a springy material, comprising a forward, upper yoke around the pelvis opposite a rear yoke around the legs below the buttocks, the two connected by a non-dimensionally stable strip of fabric, so that the garment as a whole is also not dimensionally stable. The upper yoke is closed by an elastic closing part after being drawn over the body, so that the garment is also not open at the top. This slip cannot be worn, since, when the wearer is walking, only one half of the lower yoke can remain in contact with the skin below the buttocks, as one leg moves forward and one rearward away from the pelvis during walking (or running); accordingly, the leg moving forward necessarily loses contact with the lower yoke.
Both sides of the lower yoke lose contact with the legs if the legs are spread wider than the breadth of the lower yoke. The same applies for sitting, as the legs then form an angle of 90 degrees with the front side of the upper body (180 degrees when standing), and the lower yoke must lose contact with the body on both sides, due to the much smaller distance between the yokes relative to their distance in a standing position, unless the piece of fabric is placed under extreme tension. In that case, however, it would then draw the yokes together in a standing position so tightly that they would press or even cut into the flesh due to the greater distance between them. If the fabric connecting piece becomes wet, it generally becomes unstable, expands, and loses its tensile strength, and the lower yoke will slip or fall off entirely, as it would also do during swimming. By its very design, it would be incapable of following the spreading and other complex leg motions during the breaststroke, though it would have to, as the holding in place below the buttocks is above the moving legs. In terms of leg motion, the crawl stroke is comparable to walking/running; accordingly, here as well it cannot hold. A garment according to this design will thus stay in place at best when standing; when sitting, walking, swimming a crawl stroke, or during all athletic activities involving a spreading of the legs (all ball sports (tennis, soccer/football, (beach) volleyball, etc.), breast and back stroke, surfing, etc.) or when wet, it is inherently impossible for a garment of this design to remain in place.
In addition to bikini tops, DE 20 2004 010 174 U1 describes primarily expanded, multi-piece C-strings of complex design/structure with additional supports/braces and cutouts. In order to securely retain the garment in place, DE 20 2004 010 174 U1 requires mounts over the buttock area, namely either different, outward-curving “strip continuances” or “tail sections” are supposed to provide support in the horizontal direction. The upward- or downward-curved components increase the wearer's risk of injury if they slip and no longer lie flat against the skin, and are pressed into the skin and/or internal organs e.g. during a fall or under some other externally applied force. U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,715 A describes a C-string with a rear yoke also on the buttock region, a sort of subset of the designs in DE 20 2004 010 174 U1, while US 2004 0 064 872 A1 describes what is today an almost standard C-string with no upper mounts, approximately as in its original form.
The drawbacks of the previous solutions—in particular those depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3—are first that they cannot be removed without the participation of the legs in the action of putting them on or taking them off, or can only be removed from the front or back after opening closures 3, unless protection against slippage is dispensed with as in FIG. 4. Furthermore, in FIGS. 1 through 3, neither bare buttocks nor a bare abdomen are possible due to the encircling support strap 1 and its connection in front and in back with the strap 2 between the legs unless such securing is omitted, nor can a partially uncovered buttock region/back be combined with a partially bare abdomen. In contrast, free removability in accordance with FIG. 4 requires, in addition to omission of any securing against slippage by a supporting strap, that the sides of the body are completely uncovered, and thus that the lower body of the wearer appears unclothed as seen from the side. The design of FIG. 4 also necessitates the simultaneous nakedness of the buttocks, back, and abdomen, as well as the sides of the body; a choice of uncovered buttocks or an uncovered abdomen, or alternatively an uncovered side or partially uncovered sides is not possible. DE 20 2010 004 721 U1 demonstrably does not remain in place during movement, and is thus a faulty design that does not fulfill its intended purpose. If offering a secure purchase on the body, DE 20 2004 010 174 U1 imposes risk of injury, including through the components located over the buttocks.